


Side Lines

by amuk



Category: Free!
Genre: Character Study, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship/Love, M/M, Staring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 19:51:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2664305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amuk/pseuds/amuk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The straight lines, the clean cuts, there's a strange beauty to it all. --Makoto, Haru, and the art of swimming</p>
            </blockquote>





	Side Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: September 19 // the subtle grace of gravity
> 
> A/N: Post!Series because I had to write something about these two.

The smell of chlorine gets to him first, a familiar old friend. Makoto almost ducks into the change room, old habits holding fast. At the last second he remembers he's a spectator now and turns left instead of right.

 

It’s 6:30, and he's a little early. Haru's practice ends at 7 and he should be spending this half an hour finishing his paper. Instead he heads into the viewing room, the glass walls an iron bar between him and the pool.

 

But he's never loved it as much as Haru or Rin did, as they still do, and it's a bar he opens every Saturday instead of every day. The seats are empty—mostly used by parents during lessons or free swims. It's easy to find one close to the diving boards.

 

Haru's climbing onto the block right now, pulling his goggles down. There's a muffled yell, a shrill whistle, and he dives in.

 

He's never really seen it from this angle, Haru swimming. Always from behind, always with the weight of a competition and that hope for victory.

 

Never just for practice, sitting relaxed on the side lines. Haru's arms are quick and sure, cutting the water as though it were air. Mako stares—he can't help it, this unabashed staring, this long look. The straight lines, the clean cuts, there's a strange beauty to it all.

 

For a moment, he can understand just why Rin and Haru chase each other so much in the pool.

 

He almost doesn't notice that's over. It's only when Haru climbs out of the pool and waves at him that he catches himself.

 

“Wow,” he mutters to himself, waving back and fighting down a sheepish blush.

 

For the first time, he thinks watching is better than participating.


End file.
